In general, the trend is working in the wrong direction, but if Bob McGrath were singing “Which One of These Things is Not Like the Other…”, we’d single out the Bobby Valentine era as the odd ball. The Sox have averaged about 88 wins a season. Without checking any of the rest of it, to guess that the Sox could bounce back to 75 – 80 wins wouldn’t have been an improbable prediction.

Runs in Fenway Park: 842, tops in the AL
Runs on the road: 698, 9th in the AL

So, for 2012, Fenway – always a good hitter’s park, was even more so last season.

Season Recap:

Mixed previews…. Some people thought the Sox would remain competitive, having spent a lot of money to bring in veteran talent. Many thought the hiring of Bobby Valentine might be an odd way to mix things up following the firing of Terry Francona. I’ll say…

The team got off to a bland start, but a nice streak of six wins got the team back to .500 as the month of April ended. Losing nine of ten, the Sox fell out of the race as Bobby Valentine was losing his clubhouse as fast as you can say “Kevin Youkilis wasn’t mentally ready to play.” To the Sox credit, they battled back to 21 – 21 and a second hot streak got the Sox to 42 – 37 right as July began.

At that point, the Sox fell out of contention. They sputtered through August, first slowly, and then – starting on about 8/19 – they fell off the map. The Sox would give up ten or more runs in a game every week or more – seven times in the last 38 games. As August ended, the Sox traded away a bunch of people who were seen as under-producing (Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford) and turned it over to the next wave of Sox players. The Astros played better in September. The Sox won just 27 of their last 83 games; and went 10 – 31 in the last 41 games.

Transactions:

Some minor moves before the season – resigning Cody Ross and David Ortiz, and trading Marco Scutaro to Colorado for Clayton Mortensen. I can’t prove it, but maybe the season went south when they signed pitcher Billy Buckner on 2/29.

Actually, the were proving an interest in Chicago. The traded Michael Bowden to the Cubs for Marlon Byrd. Ouch – he was released in June. The signed Mark Prior to a minor league deal. The picked up former ChiSox outfielder Scott Podsednik when outfielders were hard to find in May. Kevin Youkilis was moved to the White Sox in June for Brent Lillibridge and Zach Stewart. I don’t see that working out… They even sold Justin Germano (to the Cubs) and released Bobby Jenks (former Sox closer) – and in a related moved, signed Andy LaRoche, whose dad was a pitcher for the Cubs… Look – the Cubs stink, and while the White Sox were pretty good, cast offs aren’t going to help…

Here’s a move I don’t understand. They traded away Podsednik to Arizona, then signed him when Arizona released Podsednik.

I mentioned the big sell off – the Sox traded Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Nick Punto, and CASH to the Dodgers for James Loney, Ivan DeJesus, Allen Webster, and two guys who arrived in October – Rubby De La Rosa and Jerry Sands.

Starting Pitching:

Jon Lester had an off season, falling from ace to league average pitcher. Clay Buchholz fell from surprise ace to league average. Josh Beckett fell from famous pitcher who sometimes looks dominating to a shade below league average (and with a 5 – 11 record, looks worse than he really was). Daisuke Matsuzaka went 1 – 7 with an ERA north of 8.00, Daniel Bard proved he was a reliever in 10 starts, Aaron Cook was given 18 starts to prove he was done (5.65 ERA). Felix Doubront looked tolerable in 29 starts – I think he can build on that.

Going forward, the Red Sox could make immediate gains if Lester and Buchholz just got back half of what they lost in 2012 – that’s 30 saved runs. Getting a fourth starter that could be CLOSE to league average to replace Dice-K and Cook could save 30 runs. Replacing Josh Beckett with Ryan Dempster looks to be a wash – Dempster was awesome in Chicago, but rocked in Texas. Boston just feels more like his kind of place – I think he can be at least league average in 30 starts, which is still better than 21 Josh Beckett starts and 10 bad Daniel Bard starts… If Doubront doesn’t fall back and if John Lackey ever gets healthy, who knows. I like the rotation to be 50 – 60 runs better than last year.

Bullpen:

Losing Andrew Bailey, who was brutal, and having to use Alfredo Aceves as a closer was bad. I know Aceves got 25 saves, but the two combined to cost the Sox six unnecessary runs. The rest of the pen was a nice patch work of guys like Junichi Tazawa, Andrew Miller, Rich Hill, Clayton Mortensen, Vincente Padilla, and Matt Albers. Sure, they had a few sore thumbs (I’m looking at you, Mark Melancon and Zach Stewart), but every bullpen has one or two.

This year, the Sox signed Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan, have Andrew Bailey back, and added Koji Uehara to Tunizawa, Miller, and Mortensen. This could be a bullpen that is ten runs better than last year.

Catching:

I’m thinking that the Sox missed their captain, the retired Jason Varitek. Boston gave the job to Jarrod Saltalamacchia, with Kelly Shoppach (now gone) and Ryan Lavarnway as backups. People could run on both Salty and Lavarnway (108 stolen, 21 caught), and as a unit, the team was below average in winning percentage, team ERA, and tended to be error prone. The only category in which Boston catchers were above average was mobility (assists not tied to caught stealing), and that’s not saying a whole lot.

Shoppach was their best defensive catcher, had the best batting rates (5 runs per 27 outs, the only above average offensive player) – so he’s gone. I know – Saltalamacchia hit 25 homers, but he batted .222 with a sub .300 OBP. He hit like Jason Varitek did at the end, but with no defensive positives. Salty is back, but the Sox did bring in David Ross from Atlanta, who is a fine catcher and should get at least 500 innings of work.

Infield:

Adrian Gonzalez was underperforming, maybe, but he was still hitting .300 with 37 doubles and 86 RBI with a month to go. And, he was saving them 35 runs with his glove in five months – gold glove play. James Loney can’t hope to replace that – so the Sox let him leave and signed Mike Napoli to play there. Napoli is an underrated catcher – I’d let him do that from time to time and try to find a better hitter (Daniel Nava?) to play first. Dustin Pedroia was productive but his range is falling quickly. Never GREAT before, he cost the team more than 15 runs because he makes nearly nine fewer plays per 870 balls in play than the average second sacker. Mike Aviles was a below average hitter – first time in a full season he did that – but ordinary at short. The Sox will try Stephen Drew there in 2013 – and I think he’s going to be a weak fielder and I fear he may not be that great a hitter anymore. He has the tools to be, but it’s been a while. If he hits his 150 game norms, he’s not going to be appreciably better than Mike Aviles overall. A few more runs on the board for both teams… The one place Boston may improve is at third, where Will Middlebrooks will get full time duty. Youkilis struggled last season, so if Middlebrooks can match his half season stats across a full season, that will help. He is NOT in Youkilis’s league as a fielder, but Youk was fading there last year.

As a whole, this group will likely be 50 runs worse defensively, but break even offensively.

Outfield:

A team that had so many injuries, nine guys played in left, eleven guys played in center, and eleven more played in right. With Crawford gone, the Sox may try Jackie Bradley (he already got sent back) in left, or Daniel Nava. They need a full (and productive) season from centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury – who is, at best, a league average fielder but CAN be a crazy good hitter. Cody Ross is gone; Shane Victorino, who is as productive a hitter and a slightly better fielder will play right. If Nava can step forward and get on base, or at least be a solid platoon with Jonny Gomes, and Ellsbury can get healthy, there is a chance for 40 – 50 extra runs on the board with little change in defensive value.

DH/Bench:

David Ortiz should be around for 25 more games than the 90 games he played last year, but at his age, he might decline some. Nava can play all over, Victorino can spell Ellsbury if needed, and Pedro Ciriaco will be the utility infielder. Not a bad bunch.

On the Farm!

At Pawtucket, the only prospect from 2012 may have been catcher Ryan Lavernway, who hit .295 and played with the big club. He’s at least a good backup. The best pitcher was probably Justin Germano, but he is 29 and now a Cub. He’s no prospect.

2010 first round pick Bryce Brentz hit .296 at Portland (AA), showing power, and might make the big club this year. Jackie Bradley didn’t look overmatched in his 61 games there – he was a 2011 first rounder. Stolmy Pimentel didn’t look as strong as he had previously. The reliever with promise may be Aaron Kurcz, who fanned 72 in 50 innings, but is wild. 2008 first round pick Joshua Fields is getting there – better control and 59 Ks in his 44 innings. Unfortunately, he’s an Astro right now…

Look out for 3B Michael Almanzar, who hit .300 with power at A+ Salem. He and SS Xander Bogaerts, who is just 20, will follow in the shoes of Jackie Bradley one day. 1B Travis Shaw had Adrian Gonzalez numbers there – but I don’t think that’s what he will be when he gets to the majors… Keith Couch is looking close to being a prospect after going 11 – 9 with good control in 145.2 innings. The better prospect might be Matt Barnes, the 2011 top pick, who strikes people out and is building a solid minor league resume very quickly.

Forecast:

Well, when I add up the offensive gains and the defensive gains (pitching) and losses (infield gloves), I see the Sox making strides toward .500. I see them scoring about 65 more runs, and maybe saving five to ten runs over last year. That puts them around 800 runs scored and allowed – or 81 wins. I’m not convinced the hot start is going to stay for the year, but it will be a better season for Sox fans than 2012.

I’m watching Opening Day on ESPN and decided I might as well write while I am getting settled in… To be fair, with the Florida Marlins having decided to trade away all the talent they had recently acquired, I chose to find a new team to follow closely in 2013 – and that team is the Houston Astros.

This is a team that has hit rock bottom – even that team from five years ago was a bit of a fluke, having given up more runs than they had scored that year.

2012 Summary:
Home: 35 – 46
Away: 20 – 61 (ouch)

Runs Scored: 583
Runs Allowed: 794

There is a simple way to look at this. A team that scores 100 runs more than it allows is likely to win 90 games. The converse is also true. At 200 runs, it’s another ten wins – 100 wins or 100 losses. The Astros allowed 211 runs more than they scored – hence the lousy record. So – things have to be looking up, right?

The Astros started 3 – 1, were reasonably competitive through 45 games, and not altogether awful heading into the last week of June. Then, Houston lost the last six games of the month and the first six of July. After breaking that streak, they lost four in a row, then twelve more in a row – 28 of 30 games were lost… When the month ended, anyone with any trade value was gone. August wasn’t much better… What team has ever had a stretch where they won just eight of sixty games?

Feeling Optimistic?

Beginning on September first and covering the last 30 games, the Astros played .500 ball. Houston edged Cincinnati, toppled Philadelphia, split with Pittsburgh, edged Milwaukee, and split with Chicago. Only St. Louis proved troublesome, taking five of six. They did this without scoring a lot of runs – only 102 runs were scored in that period. What allowed this to happen was that their pitching staff tossed a number of gems down the stretch, including three straight shutouts over Milwaukee and Chicago at the very end of the season. In eleven of these wins, the Astros threw six shutouts and allowed just one run in five other starts.

Lost Jason Michaels and Clint Barmes to free agency… Michaels spent the year as an insurance policy for the Nationals in their AAA Syracuse affiliate, and likely is looking to become a coach. As for Barmes, he moved to Pittsburgh and hit like someone who is 33 and running out of seasons.

Traded Marc Melancon to Red Sox for Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland. Melancon had been a pleasant surprise for Houston in 2011, but was miserable in Boston and eventually demoted to AAA. Weiland had an infection in his throwing shoulder that required surgery and hopefully can return in 2013, but I would be leery of high expectations owing to a general lack of control. I see him as a spot starter/long reliever type. Jed Lowrie is a pretty good ballplayer, so the trade was a good one.

Claimed Rhiner Cruz off of waivers. This was, at best, organizational depth as Cruz had just been promoted to AA Binghamton in an eight year career drifting in the low minors. Putting Rhiner on the major league roster when he has no idea where the strike zone is (his mid-90s fastball has crazy movement and he can’t control his breaking ball) showed how little major league talent the Astros had. I mean, Cruz walked 45 batters in 71.2 innings in the minors in 2011.

JAN (2012):

Here, the Astros were looking to find as many players who might be able to do SOMETHING as possible.

After (and during) spring training, the Astros released Hernandez, Duke and Cust, moved anyone who needed time to the minors, and made one trade…

Acquired LHP Kevin Chapman from the Royals for OF Jason Bourgeois and C Humberto Quintero. Bourgeois was, like Melancon, a nice surprise in 2011 but is a 30-year-old outfielder with no long-term future. Quintero is, at best, a backup catcher and the Astros had other options. Chapman at least represents a future – had 90Ks in 62 innings in 2011, and built on that in 2012. He still needs work (especially with his control), but at least he has a shot to be a late inning contributor very soon.

If nothing else, that’s a lot of prospects. If you see the kids producing in 2014 and the Astros making steady improvement, then these deals worked. Seeing as the team went belly up in July and August of 2012, this did nothing to help the guys who were left behind to play.

By the way, Ben Francisco only hung around for a month. He was shipped to Tampa for a player to be named later. (That player was LHP Theron Geith.) Despite being a pretty good outfielder, Francisco hasn’t been able to keep a regular job and at 31 seems destined to be a fourth outfielder for a few more years. Geith, however, has a bright future. In two minor league seasons, Geith has a 2.66 ERA, 83Ks in 84.2 innings, and just 18 walks. He will be on the roster by 2014, and maybe next September.

Key Injuries:

Jed Lowrie missed time leaving spring training with a bruised thumb. Kyle Weiland made three starts and went down with what was then termed shoulder bursitis.

Jordan Schafer, Jed Lowrie, and Francisco Cordero spent some time on the DL in August and early September, Cordero wound up missing the rest of the season with a foot injury just six awful outings after his arrival. He really wasn’t missed, and – as he turns 37 in May – has already been released.

Cordero’s was the only injury of signifigance. Jed Lowrie missed a lot of games, but with small injuries that kept him out a couple of weeks at a time.

[Writer’s Note: I had pulled much of this together a while ago when I had decided to become a Houston Astros fan. The Astros got the Rangers in order in the first, but the Rangers did the same to the Astros – in part thanks to a bad call at second on a stolen base attempt by Jose Altuve. If the Astros are lousy this year, it could just be that I have jinxed them.]

Lucas Harrell is pretty good. He gets some strikeouts but he walks a few too many guys. Bud Norris has better stuff, but has been way more inconsistent, especially on the road. Even at that, he’s marginally below average with a chance to become really good. Bud Norris is the type of guy you might consider drafting in your fantasy league this year…

Philip Humber is trying, again, to get his career on track. Humber threw a perfect game for the White Sox, but otherwise was awful. He CAN pitch, but he can also think his way into oblivion. If Humber can find his way, the Astros will have found a gem. The problem is that his track record doesn’t give you a whole lot of reason for hope.

A guy who might, however, is Brad Peacock. The Palm Beach, FL native navigated his way through the minors, getting better every year, until he got a test drive with the Washington Nationals in 2011, where he wasn’t half bad. Moved to Oakland, he spent 2012 in Sacramento, where he held his own despite being in a league that pounds pitchers. After a pretty nice spring, he’s going to see if he’s ready for 25 – 30 starts.

Finally, Erik Bedard might be able to help – if he can stay healthy. Having missed essentially two and half of the last five years, Bedard has been reasonably successful – well, at least until last year when he went 7 – 14 for Pittsburgh. His walk rate was too high, and his ERA went over 5 (5.01), but there are reasons to think that he can be better than he was last year – starting with the fact that he has always been better than he was last year.

So, just trying to see if the rotation is better, at first glance, the answer is probably no. Harrell and Norris are the same (though Norris might be slightly better). I don’t buy that Humber is better than Jordan Lyles was in 2012, and Erik Bedard won’t be as good as a partial season of Wandy Rodriguez. If one pitcher surprises, it might be Peacock who COULD be as good as J.A. Happ was. So, let’s go with the team allowing perhaps 30 extra runs here.

Relief Pitchers:

The Astros are going to give the closer job, at least at first, to Jose Veres, who has four career saves. Veres isn’t awful, but he isn’t a big time closer. Brett Myers wasn’t awesome last year, so that’s not a big loss. I was surprised that Wilton Lopez didn’t get a second chance, he pitched well enough, but the Astros went with younger arms – Hector Ambriz, Xavier Cedeno, Rhiner Cruz, Josh Fields, Edgar Gonzalez, and Wesley Wright.

This group will be no better or worse than last year.

Cruz had a 6.05 ERA last year – is that really worthy of a significant role? Wesley Wright wasn’t half bad for a situational lefty. Xavier Cedeno was league average and could be better. Edgar Gonzalez has been around and he’s never been a dependable option. The guy I like is Hector Ambriz, who fanned 22 in 19 innings in a late call last year. He could wind up the setup man before all is said and done.

Catchers:

Last year’s catchers were league average in total, but had a few weaknesses, including starter Jason Castro not being too solid against the run. Chris Snyder is gone, so Carlos Corporan is back as the backup. He looks like he can throw. Castro isn’t a bad hitter – he was slightly above average because he showed a little power and a little patience while hitting .257. Chris Snyder hit .176 and didn’t hit enough to be worth keeping around. Corporan can hit better than that – maybe .240 with a few homers, so that would be a step forward offensively. If Castro can be stronger against the run that would help immensely. This unit should score about 15 more runs than in 2012.

Infielders:

Three-quarters of the infield in use toward the end of the season returns – Brett Wallace at first, Jose Altuve at second, and Matt Dominguez at third. Jed Lowrie is gone, replaced by Ronnie Cedeno. Wallace is getting better defensively, Altuve is slightly below average as a glove man, but not problematic, and Dominguez is a solid defensive option – far better than Chris Johnson. Cedeno may have more experience, but he won’t put up more runs than, say, Marwin Gonzalez. They are essentially the same guy. The problem is that neither is a long-term solution, so as we are following this team, look for them to find a better shortstop through the minors.

Carlos Pena was added to back up Wallace at first and be the primary DH – which will last as long as Pena keeps drawing walks and hitting homers. I fear, however, that he may not hit .220.

As a unit, this team will probably hold the line offensively (Wallace will help offset the loss of Jed Lowrie), but it could be ten runs better defensively.

Outfielders:

This year’s outfield features Chris Carter, the old Oakland As prospect, Justin Maxwell, and Rick Ankiel – a reclamation project of sorts. J. D. Martinez will be back as a possible fourth or fifth outfielder, sharing the role with Brandon Barnes.

Defensively, Carter can’t be worse than J.D. Martinez was, and he has the potential to put a lot more runs on the board by virtue of his power and patience. Justin Maxwell is a better fielder and hitter than Jordan Schafer was – it would be nice if he hit, say, .250 rather than .220, though. Ankiel hasn’t been a good hitter for a few years, but he’s still better than Brian Bogusevic was, and even if he isn’t, J.D. Martinez can hit better.

As a unit, this team could score about 60 more runs and save ten to fifteen in the field.

[As I reach this point in the essay, Justin Maxwell just hit a high drive off the top of the wall in left for a two-run triple, giving the Astros an early lead. Woohoo!!!]

Down on the Farm:

Most of the guys who did anything at AAA are on the club, and nobody stands out as a prospect. Moving to the Corpus Christi Red Hawks, the top prospects at AA would include first baseman Jonathan Singleton, who hit .284 with power, 88 walks, and is 21-years-old. Another option is shortstop Jonathan Villar, a 22-year-old with speed and some hitting skills. I’m just not sure he can hit in the majors. A top pitching prospect might be Jason Stoffel, who fanned 57 in 58 innings, walked just 16, in a relief role. Jarred Cosart made 15 starts at AA and was decent, but not great. He is ranked highly by scouting organizations.

At A+ Lancaster, right fielder Domingo Santana impressed with power and average, while centerfielder George Springer has all that and speed, too. Both are free swingers. Coming up in A Lexington is Delino Deshields II – who plays like his dad, but is a few years away (and only 20). Another guy making marks include shortstop Carlos Correa, a top pick out of Puerto Rico last year.

Best guess on their record?

They aren’t as good as last September. They aren’t as bad as last August. I see the team being 75 runs better offensively, and five runs worse defensively, thanks to a slightly worse starting rotation. That puts the runs scored/runs allowed ratio at about 660/800. Working against that is the move to the offensively charged AL West, which features the Rangers and Angels, a decent Oakland, and an improving Seattle. The system calls for 66 wins, which seems a tad bit high. So, I’ll temper that to 64 – 98, hopefully avoiding a third straight year with 100 losses. If that happens, let’s consider it a a success and watch for some talent to get added to this young team.

As I finish this, I see that the Astros have extended their lead to 4 – 0 in the fifth over Texas. If they hold on for the win, it would make for a great start to the season.

Today, the Boston Red Sox are celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the opening of Fenway Park with any number of pre-game festivities followed by what should be a four and a half hour game against the New York Yankees. In honor of this festive moment, let’s go back into the archives of The Sporting News to get some insight into what some people thought of the old park back when it first opened in 1912.

Tim Murnane was writing occasional articles for The Sporting News back in the day and penned this article, which appeared on the front page on May 16, 1912.

Boston’s Odd Ways
—————————
Reasons for Poor Patronage at New Fenway Park
———————————————————-
It’s Too Big for Fans to Exchange Pleasantries About Weather and They’re Used to Going in Another Direction

Boston, Mass., May 12 — Special Correspondence

{General discussion of how weather has disrupted much of the American League schedule…}

… For several reasons the attendance has been disappointing at the local American League grounds. The continued unpleasant weather, several games having been played in light rain storms, or on days when it was too cold for a man to sit outdoors in comfort, is the chief item of course. Then the fact that the park is not as handy to reach and get away from as the old park, has hurt some and will until people get accustomed to journeying in the new direction.

Some dissatisfaction among the kings of the bleachers, as they resent the idea of being pushed back to make room for the big grand stand, is also in evidence.

On account of the size of the park, and the entrances being on two widely separated ends of the grounds, I found much of the old sociability gone. At the old grounds, you were continually running into old friends, as grandstand and bleacher patrons passed through one long runway, to be distributed like a lot of mail to the various sections.

Games Have Also Dragged

The games at the American grounds have been exceptionally long drawn out, and Boston base ball is patronized mostly by out of town people, who are anxious to catch trains, and therefore will not attend games too long drawn out.

I am sure, however, that with improved weather and everything else connected with the running of the establishment, the old crowds will come back, and the fans grow warmer to the new park.

{Other Boston player related news…}

T. H. Murnane

Is Pudge the Greatest Ever?

Ivan Rodriguez filed the paperwork for his retirement, and is planning a formal announcement for Monday in Texas. The greatest defensive catcher of the last 25 years – at least going back to the days of Johnny Bench – Rodriguez single-handedly killed the running game, handled pitches with soft hands and a smaller than normal catching glove, and was quite proficient with the bat. In 1999, he was the AL MVP after hitting .332 with 35 homers, too. Down here in Florida, the one year we had Pudge, the Marlins won the World Series. In his best seasons, he had to be as valuable as any player ever. [SI]

Famous as the patch of felt between a baseball and Jose Canceco’s head, Heritage Auctions is selling the hat Canseco wore when he misplayed an out into a homer as the ball bounced off of Jose’s head and over the fence. The hat is autographed by Canseco and is expected to fetch about $1000. Stunning. [FoxSports]

Hurry Back!

Arizona placed third baseman Geoff Blum on the 15-Day DL with a strained left oblique.

Pittsburgh placed pitcher Jeff Karstens on the 15-Day DL with a right shoulder contusion. Brad Lincoln arrives from Indianapolis to help out… Lincoln is an okay minor league pitcher and hasn’t set the world on fire in two previous stints with the Pirates. He can help in long relief, maybe.

Arizona placed centerfielder Chris Young on the 15-Day DL with a right shoulder contusion suffered when crashing into the wall to make a catch. Young had been the hottest hitter on the Snakes…

The Yankees placed left fielder Brett Gardner on the 15-Day DL with a sore right elbow.

Transaction News…

Tampa claimed first baseman Brandon Allen off waivers from the Oakland A’s.

Minnesota called up Jason Marquis from AAA New Britain. The Twins need all the help they can get…

Boston sent down Mark Melancon to AAA – he of the ERA that is greater than Jamie Moyer‘s age – and recalled Japanese import Junichi Tazawa. In the minors, Tazawa hasn’t been half bad, but his career ERA in the majors is 7.31… Still, 7.31 is less than 49.50.

Happy Birthday!!!

A trip to NYC and a lack of writing time means I am behind in my birthday celebrations. First – here’s a list of those celebrating with cards, cake, or remembrances today…

Harry Agganis was an All-American back at Boston University who turned down a career in football and a $100,000 bonus to sign with the Cleveland Browns to sign with his hometown Boston Red Sox in 1952. Sammy White said Agganis had the strength of Hercules… Two years after signing, Agganis had earned his way into a regular position with the Sox and was batting over .300 in 1955 when he was admitted to a local hospital with pneumonia and what was called phlebitis in his leg. Days later, Agganis died when a blood clot in his leg moved into his lung and burst. [Baseball Players of the 1950s – Rich Marazzi and Len Fiorito]

Picked by many to repeat as AL East and World Series champs, the Yankees just missed by a game of winning the east, and had their starting rotation held up (or had they acquired Cliff Lee) they might have won the series, too.

The Yankees got off to a hot start, taking 15 of 22 in April, and having winning records every month until September, when they went 12 – 15 and were run down from behind by the Rays. To be honest, they peaked after a long winning streak at 86 – 50, but actually collapsed to the finish line. Had they missed the playoffs, it might have been given the same treatment as a Mets September, but for some reason, the Yankees were given a pass for going 9 – 17 down the stretch.

If I were them, I’d be nervous.

During the season, in addition to the run of the mill waiver claims and what not, the Yankees acquired Austin Kearns for spare parts from Cleveland, later picked up Kerry Wood at the trade deadline for two more minor leaguers, and gave up two decent prospects (Mark Melancon and Jimmy Paredes) to the Astros to pick up Lance Berkman. Wood played pretty well, Kearns was just a backup, and Lance Berkman acted like he wanted to be somewhere else.

Starters:

The Yankees rotation is led by the remarkable C.C. Sabathia, who provided yet another season as a Cy Young candidate. Philip Hughes took a big step forward by winning 18 decisions in 29 starts, but as a pitcher was just mildly better than the average starter. Andy Pettitte heads to retirement following a remarkably good 21 starts, winning 11 of 14 decisions. However, the #2 starter, A.J. Burnett went 10 – 15 with a 5.26 ERA – 25 runs worse than the average starter over 186.2 innings. And Javier Vazquez was equally poor, despite the 10 – 10 record, with his 5.32 ERA. Vazquez suffered as a flyball pitcher in Yankee Stadium, giving up a homer every fifth inning he pitched. Dustin Moseley and Ivan Nova were tolerable when given chances to start – in fact Nova may earn a rotation spot in 2011.

However, the pitching is thin for 2011 in general. The Yankees twice failed to get Cliff Lee to town (maybe the fans in Yankee Stadium should have been nicer to Lee’s wife). Vazquez is now a Florida Marlin, Andy Pettitte has retired to Texas, and even Kerry Wood returned home (he’s pitching for the Cubs). Sabathia returns, as does Burnett (he HAS to be better than last year), and Hughes will get 32 starts to see if he’s still got the magic. That leaves Ivan Nova, Sergio Mitre, and former rotation stalwarts Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia – who are years removed from their better days. I’m not a huge Garcia fan anymore, but he actually was tolerable as a fifth starter for the White Sox last year. On the other hand, he won 12 games in his 28 starts despite a 4.64 ERA, served up a lot of homers, and only struck out 89 in 157 innings. Vazquez came with much better credentials and stunk up the joint. Ivan Nova or Sergio Mitre will have to step forward – and Mitre has enough innings under his belt to suggest he’s not the answer. So that means Nova is likely to get a shot at being the #5 guy.

Bullpen:

Mariano Rivera continues to amaze as nears AARP status – a 1.80 ERA, 33 saves, and just 55 base runners in 60 innings. Joba Chamberlain didn’t completely own the 7th or 8th inning, but there are still things to like, including a great K/9 rate and improved control. Boone Logan and Damaso Marte served as solid one-out lefties, and David Robertson was decent in 61.1 innings. Kerry Wood was impressive in his two months.

Looking ahead, Rivera returns for another go, but Rafael Soriano was imported from Tampa to provide an 8th inning ace and potential replacement closer. The rest of the pen contains the familiar faces of Robertson, Logan, and Chamberlain, as well as newly added Pedro Feliciano. Hopefully, these guys are ready for a step up in workload.

Catching:

Jorge Posada and Francisco Cervelli provided decent enough catching, even if teams ran rampant on Posada when he caught. Posada can still hit some, so he will be moved to the DH role, which means that Cervelli will cede a few innings to Russell Martin. Cervelli is a decent backup – no power, some defense, a fair batting average. Four years ago, Martin was a solid defensive catcher and run producer, that is until Joe Torre ran him into the ground.

Infield:

The Yankees have an interesting mix of current and aging superstars. At third, you have the declining Alex Rodriguez, who is getting more comfortable at third base as his batting statistics fall off from his MVP level (and steroid supported) play. At short is the captain, Derek Jeter. When he hits .320, Jeter is the most productive shortstop in the AL despite his defensive flaws (range, really, is his only flaw and it’s really getting problematic – so stop giving him the gold glove when he hasn’t ever deserved one). Last year, he hit .270 and the team let him know, through an ugly contract negotiation, that they noticed his decline was both offensive and defensive. At second, you have the remarkably talented Robinson Cano, who is as good a fielder as can be found in the AL and light years ahead of any second sacker when batting, too. At first, you have Mark Teixeira, who struggled to get out April, but still managed 33 homers, 108 RBI, and got on base at a .368 clip. That’s a solid off season. Backing them up is Ramiro Pena, who has little power but some defensive skills – much like Eduardo Nunez, who is the sixth infielder.

I’d like to think that Jeter can bounce back for one more .300 season. If he does, that bodes well for his chances at 3500 hits and the Yankees continuing to make playoff runs. Realistically, that’s not going to happen. Same with Alex Rodriguez, who is barely making 30 homers per year, misses a month of games each year now, and also hit .270 instead of .310. Playing in Yankee Stadium is also masking some of their decline; if Jeter had hit .255 with 7 homers, would anyone give him a chance of a comeback? Cano should be able to duplicate his 2010 season, but last year was a significant step forward to superstardom. And Teixeira will not have another April like last year. The issue is that all four are generally durable (even A-Rod, with his hip, has never missed 60 games in a season) and now, with all but Cano at least two years into their 30s, the chances of someone missing a significant amount of time is going up. I can’t help but think that this is the year – and neither Pena nor Nunez can hit enough to make up for that kind of loss.

Outfield:

The trio of Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson, and Nick Swisher return after all three provided solid production in 2010. Of the three, Gardner has the greatest chance to produce more in 2011. He could be moved up in the lineup (he should be the leadoff hitter), which would give him more opportunities. Until then, he’s the best centerfielder playing left field on the team, and he’s the best #9 hitter in baseball. Granderson found his power stroke near the end of the year, but he’s only marginally better than average because he doesn’t quite hit .250 anymore. Swisher is coming off a career year in batting and slugging and remains a surprisingly good defensive outfielder. Austin Kearns and Randy Winn are gone (thankfully), but they have imported aging slugger Andruw Jones to help out here and be the right handed counterpart at DH. Greg Golson may be the best defensive option as the alliterative fourth outfielder; Golson or Colin Curtis.

DH:

Last year, Marcus Thames was the surprise hit of the team, launching 12 homers in 212 at bats, batting .288, and generating more runs per 27 outs than even Teixeira. In 2011, look for Jorge Posada, Andruw Jones, and one or more of the others (Rodriguez, Swisher, Granderson, or even Jeter to pick up a few at bats here.

Down On the Farm:

It all starts with Jesus Montero, who is an expanded set of defensive skills away from being the next great Yankee catcher. In AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre, Montero hit for more power, was more selective, and – at 20 – is just about ready. Eduardo Nunez got his first cup of coffee after tying Montero for the team lead in batting, stole 23 bases in 28 attempts, and played a steady shortstop. At 24, he could step in and help out. The top pitcher was Ivan Nova, who went 12 – 3 with a 2.86 ERA, showed good control, and was reasonably solid in his Yankee debut. David Phelps moved up through two levels, going 6 – 0 in 14 starts at AA Trenton, then 4 – 2 in 11 starts at AAA – with great command and a sub 3.00 ERA.

Trenton featured first baseman Brandon Laird, a 23 year old who hit 23 – 90 – .291. Hector Noesi went 8 – 4 with a 1.09 WHIP and an 86/18 K/BB rate. Another pitcher making a step up was Adam Warren, who whipped through three levels since his 2009 draft (4th round), and has been impressive with his command and control at all three levels.

Corbin Joseph was a 4th round pick out of Franklin, TN in 2008 and hit .302 in A+ Tampa. He’s a slight second baseman who seems to be developing a little power as he ages. Another young prospect is Jose Pirela, a Venezuelan burner who plays shortstop and hit 13 triples for Tampa. He may be fighting Joseph for a shot at the second base job in three years. Among the top arms were Pat Venditte (4 – 1, 1.73, 85/14 in 72.2 innings), Dellen Betances – a Brooklyn native who clobbered Tampa opponents (8 – 1, 1.77, 88/19 in 81 innings), and Mexican teen sensation Manny Banuelos, who had 79Ks in 59.2 innings and seems to be ready for a full trip in AA Trenton.

Forecasting 2011:

It’s hard to pick against the Yankees because (a) the outfielders are all in their prime, as is Teixeira, and (b) the veterans they have are all still very productive.

On the other hand, this might be the year things fall off. The Yankees won’t be getting MORE production in center or right fields. They won’t be getting MORE production from second base, shortstop, or third base. They won’t be getting MORE production behind the plate. The only spots where improvement might be seen is left field – but that would be at the expense of another position. I think the offense will still be good – but not 859 runs of good. More like 780 runs – a top five offense rather than a #1 offense.

Then you have the defense, which could slip a little at four or five positions. I’d swap Granderson and Gardner, which would help, but you never know if the Yankees would do that since Granderson is only 30. You’d ALMOST want to switch A-ROD and Jeter – but I’m not certain that after the hip surgeries A-ROD can cover short anymore. In fact, nobody in New York can cover short – which makes a lot of the pitchers look worse than they have to. At least Jeter is still solid at turning two.

That brings us to the pitchers. If Sabathia, who came to spring training in WAY better shape than he had been, were to miss any chunk of time, this team could fall off the map. Hughes is good, but not great, Burnett isn’t dependable and is one slump away from being sent to the Pirates or something. Your fourth and fifth starters are rookies or retreads. I think the Yankees will allow a few more runs than in 2010 – maybe 40 more. That puts the team around 780 runs scored and just 725 allowed, which converts to 87 wins. And wait until the Steinbrenner boys see THAT number…

The Yankees were good – don’t get me wrong. Using the ratio of runs scored to runs allowed, they would be expected to win 97 games, which is still three more than anyone else – but a little lucky.

Just a little.

If I can digress a little bit, a lot was made about the large number of home runs hit in the new Yankee Stadium. Yankee batters hit 28 more homers at home than on the road. The Yankee pitching staff allowed 21 more homers at home than in road games. The net gain on this is about 70 runs. (Pete Palmer calculates the value of a homer at 1.44 runs – so that’s how I come to that conclusion.)

Despite this split, the offense as a whole at Yankee Stadium was actually lower than on the road (819 runs in Yankee Stadium, while 839 runs on the road) – and it was their own offense that was probably more responsible for that shortfall. what this means, of course, is that if you would expect to add 70 runs on the scoreboard but wind up 20 runs short, the REST of the hits must have been removed.

That means that there were a few other factors that had a greater affect on offense – the size of the foul territory, the shape of the outfield walls, the length of the infield grass, whatever – than whatever pushed homers over the right centerfield wall. For example, the Yankees hit only five triples at home, but 16 on the road – and they hit 25 fewer doubles at home, too. This suggests that by having a bit shorter wall in the alleys, some balls leave, but the rest are caught and outfielders could shade in and cut off sinking liners and bloop hits. Singles weren’t going through the infield – which suggests that the grass must have been REALLY thick, especially on that left side where veterans with less range inhabit the infield…

You wouldn’t want to make a TON of conclusions about it, but we’re talking about making up for a lot of missing hits in 2009. We’ll see how this holds up next year.

Let’s get back to the team review.

Season Recap:

The season started with the admission in spring training that Alex Rodriguez, recovering from off-season hip surgery, had also spent some time in the steroid cocktail lounge. A-Rod would miss the first month of the season, and take a little while to get back into playing shape. Still, the Yankees had made a number of significant moves – signing C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Mark Teixeira, and Nick Swisher – to rededicate themselves to the task of winning a championship in the new Yankee Stadium.

For a month or so, the Yankees stumbled out of the gate, winning and losing a couple, until a five game losing streak at home against Anaheim, Boston,and Tampa put them two games under .500. While some wondered if it was because A-Rod was gone, the truth was that the pitchers had a 5.79 ERA in April (See Chien-Ming Wang or Sergio Mitre) and that just couldn’t be overcome by any decent offense. After losing to Roy Halliday in Toronto on May 12th, Joe Girardi was already feeling the heat of the New York scribes who insisted that he might get fired before the All-Star break if things didn’t get turned around.

What followed the return of A-Rod to the lineup was the entire team feeling complete – and an eight game winning streak put the team on the way. Sure – the Yankees had a couple of rough stretches, they lost three in a row twice, and were just six games over .500 on June 23. A-Rod wasn’t yet hitting the way we were used to him hitting. The middle relief was staggering a little. Joba Chamberlain was hearing calls he might head back to the bullpen. Again, however, the noise was just that.

On June 24, the Yankees got things figured out. Bam! Seven game winning streak. Right after the all-star break – Bam! – eight game winning streak. If the Yankees lost three in a row, look out. Getting tossed by the White Sox, the Yankees responded with seven wins and twelve wins in thirteen games. I counted SIX winning streaks of seven games or longer. And after June, where they batted .253 with a .354 OBP, the team’s batting average was higher every month until the season ended.

The Yankees fought off Anaheim and Minnesota, then blew over a very good Philadelphia team to win the World Series.

Pitching:

The Yankees had a dominant starter in C.C. Sabathia, and then three decent guys in A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, and Joba Chamberlain. The fifth slot, however, wasn’t very good – and was a problem until the Yankees finally turned it over to either Philip Hughes or summer acquisition Chad Gaudin.

Sabathia was amazing – 230 innings of typical good work, saving his team about 26 runs over his time on the mound. A.J. Burnett won 13 and saved his team 10 runs in 207 innings. Andy Pettitte, who has done this forever, isn’t a great pitcher anymore – he’s league average – but with this offense, that’s good enough for 14 wins. If the Yankees could just leave Joba Chamberlain alone, he’d probably be okay. He was solid until the latter part of the season where he fell off and was about as far below average as Burnett was above it – 11 runs.

The fifth spot was crazy… Chien-Ming Wang went 1 – 6 with a 9.64 ERA, and will get to figure things out in Washington. For three years, he was a fine pitcher, but 2009 was ROUGH. The Yankees tried Sergio Mitre – nine starts and a 6.79 ERA. After that, the Yankees moved long reliever Philip Hughes in and he was pretty good: 96Ks in 86 innings, good control, and a solid ERA. I think he has as good a chance of anyone to be groomed for the closer role in a year or two. Chad Gaudin got six starts and was good enough.

The bullpen starts with the greatest closer of the last 20 years, the incomparable Mariano Rivera, who saved his team 21 runs in his 66.1 innings. With a 1.76 ERA, you’d never know he was pushing 40. Hughes was a good compliment, but the rest of the bullpen was up and down. Alfredo Aceves was tolerable – good control and won ten games in middle relief because the offense could come back from any number of deficits. David Robertson struck out 63 in 43.2 innings and saved his team a few runs here and there. Phil Coke didn’t allow too many hits – but the ones he allowed seemed to leave the yard (ten homers in 60 innings).

For 2010, the Yankees added Braves starter (and former Yankee) Javier Vasquez. You always worry about bringing a flyball guy to new Yankee Stadium, so while I love that the Yankees added a durable innings eater, I don’t think he’s going to be the ACE that he looked like in Atlanta. I think he’ll look like A.J. Burnett at best – with better control. ERA around 4.00 – and fans complaining it’s not closer to 3.00.

Additionally, the Yankees probably don’t NEED a regular fifth starter. They are the one team that could throw Sabathia, Burnett, and Vasquez all the time, Pettitte most of the time, and rotate Chamberlain or Gaudin in there to give people an extra day of rest from time to time. Seriously – Sabathia could make 40 starts (if not abused in his starts) and MIGHT win 25 or 28 games.

The rotation is going to be about as good as last year – the benefits of Vasquez offsetting whatever loss in productivity comes from Pettitte as he wraps up his career. The bullpen isn’t going to be better than last year – but it might get used more. Looking at this, I see a possible five run drop off defensively, but not not more than ten runs off from 2009.

Catching:

A lot is made about how easy it is to run on Jorge Posada. That really wasn’t a problem last year. Throw in the fact that his teams win, his pitchers are better than league average (two things he probably doesn’t deserve a LOT of credit for, but they are good), and the fact that he doesn’t make a lot of mistakes – that’s pretty good. His backups, Francisco Cervelli and Jose Molina, do a pretty good job, though Molina won’t be here in 2010. What will make you nervous is Posada’s age, which might affect his offense this year.

Infield:

Mark Teixeira was all that you would want – impressive offensively, stable defensively. He’s probably the best first baseman in the AL right now, though Kendry Morales is pretty special, too.

Robinson Cano is in the discussion for best second baseman in baseball. He has a great glove and might win a batting title – all while hitting 20 – 25 homers.

Derek Jeter remains the most productive shortstop in the AL because he can still hit, gets on base a lot, has enough power, and is so good a hitter that it overrides the fact that he’s a miserable glove – that horrible decision to give him a Gold Glove last year not withstanding.

Alex Rodriguez still towers over most third basemen, finishing 30 – 100 again as he has every year since about 1980… His defense at the position has improved every year, but he’s still not really all that good.

What scares you is the lack of depth here. Ramiro Pena is a good fielder and hits a little. Jerry Hairston is gone and nobody else looks like a major leaguer. Would you trust Juan Miranda with a job?

I’d love to tell you that this group is going to sustain its production in 2010, but I can’t help but think that age is going to creep up on Jeter or AROD, and if one or the other misses a significant amount of time, it would be problematic (although possibly a benefit defensively). I look for this group to decline by 30 runs offensively in 2010, and for the defense to slip by five or ten runs.

Outfield:

Last year, the Yankees had a productive Johnny Damon, a tolerable but not impressive Melky Cabrera, and the fun Nick Swisher from left to right. Only Swisher was mildly above average defensively, but all three were quality contributors with the bat.

Cabrera was moved to Atlanta in the Javier Vasquez trade, which means that Brett Gardner will be the full time centerfielder. I like this – Gardner is better defensively and despite the lack of power is probaby going to produce more runs because he gets on base. I like him in the #2 spot behind Jeter.

Losing Damon will be tough, but the Yankees acquired outfielder Curtis Granderson for prospect Austin Jackson to play left. After running productivity numbers for the two, it’s literally a wash – with the Yankees getting younger. Granderson has actually slipped two straight years after looking like one of the greats in 2007. I like him as a left fielder, though – and the pitchers will, too.

Swisher returns to right field, will back up Teixeira from time to time. The fourth outfielder will be Randy Winn, who is not much offensively anymore but remains a good outfielder. If he has to play a lot, that would be a problem, though.

The net change of this group, however, I think will be positive. I like them to score about 10 runs more than last year, and save 10 runs defensively.

Bench:

Last year’s DH was Hideki Matsui, who gets to ply his trade as an Angel in 2010. In his place will be Nick Johnson, who has a fantastic OBP, sneaks a little power in there, and is a threat to get injured.

After that, I don’t see much of a bench. Just Pena in the infield, and just Winn in the outfield.

Prospects:

AAA Scranton manager Butch Wynagar’s best pitching prospect is probably reliever Mark Melancon, who got a shot with the big club in 2009. With Scranton, Melancon was 4 – 0 wiht a 2.89 ERA, fanning 54 and walking 11 in 53 innings. Nobody else impresses me… The best hitter was Austin Jackson, a speed demon who was traded to Detroit for Granderson. Jackson hit .300 with nine triples and 24 steals. Kevin Russo is an infielder with some skills, hitting .326 but without much power and with Cano and Jeter around isn’t going to get a shot without someone going down with an injury. He’s probably as good as Ramiro Pena, but with better on base skills. If you haven’t heard of Russo, it’s because he was a 20th round pick in 2006 and has surprised a lot of people working his way up through the ranks. I think the kid can play, though.

The Trenton Thunder (AA) features the Yankee’s best prospect, catcher Jesus Montero, who hit .317 in AA after being moved up from Tampa (where, in a tough park, he hit .356). He looks like the new Jorge Posada and will get Posada’s job in 2012 or so. He’s just 20. Eduardo Nunez has some hitting skills, but little patience. He hit .322 in Trenton with nine homers. It was the first time that the undrafted Dominican shorstop looked like a hitter.

If you are looking for pitching prospects, though, Trenton might have a few. Michael Dunn fanned 76 in 53.1 innings, earning a trip to Scranton and eventually New York. Starter Zach McAllister had a 2.23 ERA with good control in 22 starts. Josh Schmidt has taken a while to get going but had a 1.61 ERA for Trenton last year – he has great K/9 stats and seems very hard to hit. He’s just getting a bit old for a prospect.

At Tampa, David Phelps – a Notre Dame arm – looks to be making nice progress, and starter Lance Pendleton or D.J. Mitchell might get a chance to move up to Trenton after solid enough seasons in A+ ball. Each could stand to work on their control, though. And Austin Romine is a kid with a little power and speed that might work his way up the Yankee ladder in time, but as a catcher might be blocked by Montero. 2008 third round pick David Adams hit .281 with some power and patience – I like his chances to get to the Yankees (or get traded) by 2013.

Forecast:

Barring catastrophic injuries, the Yankees will be good in 2010. They won’t win 110 games, I don’t think. Healthy, the Yankees win 93 games and make the playoffs again. Part of me thinks that it will be more likely 95 wins, but if the system says 93, I’ll go with that.